Understanding content review stages enables writers to collaborate more effectively with editors. Familiarizing oneself with editing terminology can also help writers self-edit more effectively.
Here is a list of content editing glossary terms to inform content conversations and achieve higher-quality content and better content outcomes:
Accuracy - The extent to which content is free from errors or inaccuracies. Active voice - A sentence structure where the subject performs the action stated by the verb. Example: The editor proofread the document.
Adverb - A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Adverbs frequently end in -ly.
Affix - A prefix or suffix added to a root word to change its meaning. For example, the prefix re- and the root word do make the word redo.
Alliteration - The repetition of initial consonant sounds. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
Alphanumeric - Consisting of both letters and numbers.
Analysis - The process of closely examining the structure and elements of content.
Annotate - To add notes or commentary to text.
AP Style - The Associated Press's widely used writing style guide followed by news publications.
Article - A piece of nonfiction writing found in publications.
Assessment - The evaluation or estimation of content to judge its quality, readability, structure, etc.
Audit - A systematic review of content to identify problems.
Authoritative - Content that is trustworthy, accurate, and credible due to the expertise of the creator.
Bias - Prejudice in favor of or against something that results in unfair treatment or representation.
Bibliography - A list of references or sources cited in a piece of writing.
Body copy - The main text that makes up the bulk of a written work.
Boilerplate - Standardized text that can be reused in multiple documents with little or no modification.
Brief - Written instructions about the goals, key points, tone, and audience for a content project.
Byline - The name of the author published with a piece of writing.
Capitalization - Writing words with their first letter as a capital letter and the remaining letters in lowercase.
Chicago Style - A writing style guide published by the University of Chicago Press.
Clarity - The quality of being coherent, logical, and free from ambiguity.
Coherence - The logical, orderly flow of ideas in a piece of writing.
Cohesive - Ideas that connect logically using transitions and flow smoothly from one to the next.
Comprehensive edit - An in-depth edit addressing content, structure, and mechanical issues.
Conciseness - Expressing ideas clearly and directly using few words. Removing unnecessary words.
Conclusion - The ending section of a piece of writing that summarizes key points.
Content - The written, visual, or audio information contained in media like articles, blogs, videos, etc.
Content audit - Evaluating and analyzing existing content to determine its quality, relevance, effectiveness.
Content refresh - Reworking and updating old content so that the refreshed content is more reflective of your current offers and product features.
Content repurposing - Taking existing content (such as a blog post, video, podcast episode, or other piece of content and adapting or repackaging it into a new format or medium).
Content strategy - The planning and governing of content creation across channels to meet business goals.
Copy - The text content of any written material, like brochures, websites, ads, direct mail, etc.
Copyediting - Editing text for grammar, spelling, punctuation, accuracy, and consistency.
Copyright - The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell creative content.
Draft - The preliminary version of a piece of writing that will undergo revision before being finalized.
Editing - The process of revising written content to improve its clarity, organization, conciseness, and accuracy.
Editor - A person who examines and revises written material to improve it.
Fluency - The clear, natural, easy flow of language in a piece of writing.
Formatting - Arranging text on a page through spacing, fonts, headings, etc.
Grammar - The set of rules that govern how words are used in a language.
Graphics - Visual elements like charts, photos, drawings, maps, etc. used to illustrate or enhance text.
Guidewords - Subheadings that orient readers and break text into logical sections.
Headlines - Short, attention-grabbing sentences placed above articles to summarize content.
House style - The set of editorial rules or guidelines followed within a particular organization.
Index - An alphabetical list of keywords with page numbers used to help locate information.
Jargon - Specialized technical terminology used in a particular field or industry.
Lead - The opening section of an article that draws readers in and introduces the topic.
Legibility - How easily text can be read based on elements like font, size, and spacing.
Localization - Adapting content for a specific culture, language, country, or market.
Mechanics - The grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, and other technical aspects of writing.
Organize - To arrange pieces of writing in a logical way using structure and sequencing.
Outline - A hierarchical overview of a writing plan including key points for each section.
Page layout - The arrangement of text, images, headers, etc. on a page.
Paragraph - A distinct section of writing covering one main idea.
Passive voice - A sentence structure where the subject receives the action. Example: The document was proofread by the editor.
Pattern - The repeated use of literary devices like metaphors, imagery, dialogue, etc. Peer review - Having colleagues examine and provide feedback on a document.
Plagiarism - Passing off someone else's writing, ideas, or work as your own.
Proofreading - Checking a piece of writing for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Publishing - Preparing and issuing content to make it available to an audience.
Punctuation - Marks like periods, commas, semicolons used to organize and clarify writing.
Readability - The ease with which a reader can understand a written text.
Redundancy - Unnecessary repetition of words, phrases, or ideas. Reference - A work cited by another work.
Revision - The process of rewriting and refining a draft of writing.
Revising - Reworking a piece of writing by adding, organizing, clarifying, and deleting content.
Rhetoric - The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing.
Scope - The parameters, limits, or breadth of a writing project.
SEO - Search engine optimization; crafting content to improve visibility and ranking in web searches.
Sequence - A particular order in which related events, ideas, etc. follow each other.
Simplicity - Expressing ideas clearly and directly without unnecessary complexity.
Source - An original document or text used during research.
Structure - The organization of sections and order of ideas in a piece of writing.
Style - The distinctive way text is written regarding word choice, phrasing, sentence structure, etc.
Style guide - A set of standards for writing and designing content within an organization.
Syntax - The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences.
Table of contents - An outline at the beginning of a book listing chapter titles, sections, etc.
Template - A predesigned document used as a starting point for new projects.
Tone - The attitude expressed by the language, style, and content of a text.
Topic sentence - A sentence that summarizes the central idea of a paragraph.
Transitions - Connecting words like however, therefore, finally that link ideas and sections smoothly.
Variety - Including different types of sentence structures, words, and phrases to engage readers.
Visual content - Images, graphics, charts, photos, and other visual elements in a document.
Word choice - Selecting specific words and phrases to convey meaning vs. other options.
